LUCKY 13: More teams advance to the 3rd round of the Open Cup; 2 more cupsets

CHICAGO – Two Cupsets by Forward Madison FC (USL League One) and Orange County FC (NPSL) highlighted Wednesday night as Division II (USL Championship) professional teams largely took care of business in the second round of the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer’s national championship.

With the completion of the second round, 22 teams (19 from USL Championship, one from USL League One, and two Open Division amateurs) move on to face one another in the third round May 28-29. There they will vie for the right to face Division I (Major League Soccer) competition in the fourth found scheduled June 12. All the third and fourth round games will be available to watch on ESPN+.

After the third round concludes, U.S. Soccer will conduct the fourth round draw Thursday, May 30 to determine the pairings with MLS clubs.

While USL Championship teams went 15-1-3 (1-2 in PKs) in their 19 games against lower opposition in the Second Round, amateurs Florida Soccer Soldiers and Orange County FC slipped past the pros on PKs. Soccer Soldiers defeated Miami FC on Tuesday night, while OCFC ousted similarly named neighbors Orange County SC this evening. Now the two amateur sides will hope one more cupset carries not just the reward of facing an MLS side in the Fourth Round but the $25,000 prize awarded to the team to advance furthest from each lower division.

With their cupset of El Paso Locomotive, Forward Madison FC claimed the $25k prize as the Division III (USL League One) team to advance furthest in the competition as well as the distinction of being the only lower league team to beat a higher division opponent in regulation.

Despite playing the final 73 minutes with 10 men, Indy Eleven managed to squeak past Lansing Ignite FC, 1-0, to win its first Open Cup match since 2016, at Sellick Bowl at Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind. Thomas Enevoldsen scored the game-winner on his only opportunity of the game in the 57th minute. Tyler Gibson initiated the scoring sequence by sending a long ball to Patrick Barrett on the right wing. Barrett flicked the ball to Enevoldsen, who headed a powerful shot off goalkeeper Kyle Ihn’s hands and into the net.

Indy Eleven played down a man after goalkeeper Evan Newton was red carded for a foul during a collision with an onrushing Elma Nfor in the 17 th minute. Newton originally was awarded a yellow card, but then was given his marching orders. Steeve Saint-Duc replaced NFor, who needed medical treatment before he was taken off on a stretcher. Jordan Farr took over for Indy in goal, acquitting himself well to seal the clean sheet. Indy Eleven will meet Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in a Third Round affair at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. on May 29 at 7 p.m. ET.

North Carolina FC snapped a 1-1 deadlock with a three-goal barrage in the second half en route to a 4-1 triumph over the Richmond Kickers as forward Robert Kristo secured a brace at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. Andre Fortune gave the hosts the lead in the 16th minute as he powered a shot from atop the penalty area into the right corner. Richmond, however, equalized behind a 34th-minute score from Wahab Ackwei. The final 45 minutes was all North Carolina FC, which struck for three goals during an 18-minute span. Kristo lifted North Carolina into a 2-1 lead, heading in Caleb Duvernay’s left-wing cross from seven yards in the 52nd minute before converting a penalty kick nine minutes later. Malawi international Yamikani Chester, who is on loan from MFK Vyškov (Czech Republic) tallied off a Manny Perez feed to give North Carolina FC the 4-1 win. North Carolina FC will host the upstart amateur-side Florida Soccer Soldiers (Fla.), who produced a cupset of the Charlotte Independence on Tuesday night, in the Third Round at Koka Booth Field 2 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. on May 29 at 7 p.m. ET.

Louisville City FC made fast work of Reading United AC, striking twice inside of 20 minutes as the USL Championship team recorded a 3-0 win at Lynn Stadium on the University of Louisville campus in Louisville, Ken. Abdou Thiam struck for the first goal in the 12th minute as he tapped in Niall McCabe’s pin-point feed from the right flank from point-blank range for a 1-0 Louisville City advantage. After some nifty passing, George Davis IV found himself with loads of space on the left side and took the ball toward the net before tucking it home in the 19th minute. Sunny Jane, a graduate of Trinity High School in Louisville, put a bow on the game with a 22-yard free kick to the near left corner in the 88th minute. Goalkeeper Chris Hubbard registered the shutout. In a clash of two USL Championship sides, Louisville City FC will welcome Birmingham Legion FC to Lynn Stadium in a Third Round match-up on May 29 at 7 p.m. ET

Right back Josh Morton made the most of his first start of the season, recording a brace for Memphis 901 FC, which won its first Open Cup game. Memphis recorded a 3-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls U23 squad at AutoZone Park. The visitors gave Memphis a scare by drawing first blood in the fifth minute on a goal by JP Marin. Memphis, however, got back on track as Cam Lindley found the range only three minutes later on a 22-yard free kick to the near left post. Morton’s first goal of the evening snapped the tie in the 26th minute when he overlapped and forced the goalkeeper to come out of the net before tucking the ball home. He added an insurance goal in the 73rd minute, cashing in on a Lindley corner kick with a header from four yards. Memphis 901 FC will welcome Hartford Athletic (USL Championship) in a Third Round encounter at Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Memphis, Tenn. on May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.

Eddie Opoku enjoyed a dream performance for Birmingham Legion FC, scoring a goal, assisting on two others and being fouled in the box to set up a penalty kick in Birmingham Legion FC’s 4-1 triumph over the amateur West Chester Predators at BBVA Compass Field in Birmingham, Ala. Chandler Hoffman gave the host side the lead in the 21st minute after Opoku was taken down in the box. Hoffman converted a penalty, firing his attempt to the lower right corner. In the 36th minute, it was Femi Hollinger-Janzen’s turn to celebrate as he headed home an Opoku corner kick for a two-goal margin.

Three minutes into the second half Birmingham goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg made sure that lead stood up as he made two saves on bang-bang plays only seconds apart, denying a free kick and then a rebound. Spangenberg’s teammates came back to reward him as Prosper Kasim found the net in the 51st minute for a 3-0 advantage off an Opoku feed from the left wing. Opoku got his deserved goal in the 89th minute. After a fine run down the right side, he entered the penalty area, danced around the penalty area to find the right slot before scoring from seven goals in the 89th minute. Birmingham will visit Louisville City FC in the third round at Lynn Stadium in Louisville, Ken. on May 29 at 7 p.m. ET.

There was little doubt that Ian Svantesson was the man of the hour for the Charleston Battery. Actually, make the man of the 12 minutes as he performed some goal-scoring heroics during the final 12 minutes of the match to lift the Battery to a dramatic 2-1 victory over Greenville Triumph SC at Legacy Early College Field in Greenville, S.C. Coached by former U.S. international captain and MLS standout John Harkes, Greenville Triumph SC was thinking of pulling off a cupset after Max Hemmings had given the hosts the lead with his first goal in a Triumph SC uniform on the half hour, putting in an Aaron Walker corner kick. Svantesson, however, had other plans, making the most of his opportunities in the waning moments. First, he tallied from close range in the 79th minute off a right-wing feed. A minute into stoppage time, he topped himself. Running down the ball on the right flank, Svantesson beat his man and fired a shot just as he got to the end line and it deflected off goalkeeper Dallas Jaye into the net for the game-winner. The Battery moved on to meet fellow USL Championship side Nashville SC in the third round at Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. on May 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Eighteen-year-old goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made his first professional start for Saint Louis FC, but it was what he accomplished at the end of the match against the Des Moines Menace that turned heads. Schulte made three saves in the shootout to boost the Missouri side to a 3-1 penalty-kick tie-breaker win after the teams played to a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes in a game that saw three players red carded at Cownie Soccer Park in Des Moines, Iowa. Schulte dove to his left to deny Joshua Coan and Nick Perea on the Menace’s first and third attempts, respectively, before sprawling to his right to stop Gaoussou Bayakoyo for his final save. Russell Cericone converted the game-winning penalty. All the goal-scoring occurred in the first half as Kyle Greig headed in an Austin Jepson corner kick for the visiting side in the 13th minute before Perea knotted things up on a penalty kick in the 38th minute. The match was punctuated by cards, lots of cards. Besides the reds, dozen yellow cards were awarded, including one to Des Moines keeper Jordan Bell during the shootout. Des Moines went down to 10 men when Koray Easterling picked up his second yellow of the match during regulation stoppage time. The sides were evened up in the second extratime when Saint Louis’ Albert Dikwa was given the heave-ho for his second yellow in the 114th minute. The Menace, however, went down to nine men when it lost one of his best penalty takers, Gerber Chavez, for his second yellow on an ill-advised challenge on Schulte at midfield four minutes into injury time in the second extratime. Saint Louis plays Forward Madison FC at World Wide Technology Soccer Park in the third round on May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC needed only one goal to dispatch FC Denver at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs, Colo. Kwasi Donsu drilled a 30-yard shot into the bottom left corner late in the first half and the hosts made sure that goal stood up. Switchbacks FC snapped a seven-game winless streak (0-5-2), dating back to a 1-0 home win over San Antonio FC on March 23. Head coach Steve Trittschuh, a former U.S. international who played in the 1990 World Cup, hoped that the victory will bolster his team to success in league play at New Mexico United on Saturday. “Let’s hope we can carry that confidence into this weekend,” he said. “These games aren’t easy. You look at the scores of the teams that played a lower division team, it’s hard. It’s hard to play teams like that. They were very direct and so we had to battle tonight. A win’s a win, so hopefully we take that into this next weekend.” The Switchbacks will either travel to Phoenix Rising FC or host New Mexico United in the ThirdRround on May 29, pending the result of their second-round match.

During a seven-minute span in the opening half, Forward Madison FC (USL League One) took control of the game by finding the net twice en route to a surprising 3-0 victory over El Paso Locomotive FC at Southwest University Ballpark in El Paso, Texas. Jiro Barriga Toyama, off an assist by Paulo Jr., gave the visitors all the scoring they needed in the 19th minute. Toyama also set up Christian Diaz’s score in the 26th minute. Jeff Michaud completed the rout with Madison’s third goal in the 76th minute. Goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre was credited with the clean sheet. Forward Madison will play Saint Louis FC, shootout winners over the Des Moines Menace on Wednesday night, at the World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo. on May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.

New Mexico United won its first U.S. Open Cup game as a club by downing desert rivals Phoenix Rising 4-3 on PKs in a back-and-fourth game that featured a top class display from both goalkeepers. Ultimately, it was United ‘keeper Cody Mizell who made the crucial stop on Rising’s AJ Cochran in the final round of the penalty shoot out to put New Mexico through to the Third Round. Junior Flemmings had given Phoenix the lead from the penalty mark in the 65th minute but a pair of goals from Devon Sandoval in the 79 and 95th minutes looked to have secured the comeback for United. But befitting the hotly contested match in which both teams refused to give an inch, Adam Jahn came off the bench to notch the equalizer for Phoenix in the 101st minute. With both ‘keepers standing tall to force the game into penalties, it was Mizell who came up with one more save than his counterpart Carl Woszczynski to send New Mexico to a Third Round date with the Colorado Springs Switchbacks on May 29 in the Centennial State.

El Farlolito (NPSL) 0, Fresno FC (USL) 1

Second-half substitute Qudus Lawal took advantage of a mistake by goalkeeper Luis Castro to score the only goal of the match in the 75th minute to boost Fresno FC to a 1-0 win over El Farolito at historic Boxer Stadium in downtown San Francisco, Calif. Lawal, a forward, slipped the ball into the net from close range after Castro dropped a right-wing feed in front of the net. El Farlolito, which defeated Academica SC (Calif.), 2-1, last week, could not conjure up the magic to pull off a cupset this time around. Fresno goalkeeper Sam Howard preserved the shutout by tipping Carlos Montes’ 84th-minute blast just over the crossbar. Jemal Johnson almost gave the visitors the lead in the 35th minute, but his 10-yard shot bounded off the crossbar. El Farolito’s Starting XI included former Panama national team midfielder Aramis Haywood, 34, who made five international appearances and participated in the 2011 Concacaf Gold Cup. The game kicked off at 2:30 p.m. PT instead of at night because the stadium did not have lights. Fresno FC will meet another USL Championship side, Sacramento Republic FC, in the Third Round at Papa Murphy’s Park in Sacramento, Calif. on May 29 at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) 1, Reno 1868 FC (USLC) 0

After taking a 4-1 loss to their easterly neighbors at the weekend in league play, Sacramento Republic exacted some revenge with a 1-0 U.S. Open Cup win against Reno 1868 at Papa Murphy’s Park in Sacramento. An evenly played affair saw the teams nearly split possession while accumulating close to the same number of passes, tackles and total shots. But the one stat firmly in Sacramento’s favor was shots on goal, which ultimately told in such a close match when Sam Werner grabbed the late winner in the 82nd minute to send the California club to Third Round for a date with Fresno FC on May 29 in Sacramento.

Orange County SC (USLC) 2, Orange County FC (NPSL) 2, (3-5 PKs)

The opening exchanges were even between these two teams who play out of the same stadium and whose names are separated by just one letter. Orange County SC, the full pros from the USL Championship, only took a lead in the 13th minute because of a blunder in the OCFC rearguard – when Joshua Davis headed an Aodhan Quinn cross from the left into his own net from an awkward position. From that set-back, Orange County FC grew into the game and went on the hunt for an equalizer. They got it after 27 minutes, when Dakota Collins slotted home a rebound from a Joshua Bynoe shot to cap off a magnificent lightning counter-attack. Orange County SC put heavy pressure on the NPSL amateurs for virtually the whole of the second half and when Darwin Jones put OCSC up with a header in the 87th minute, it looked like they’d sealed the deal. But Ryan Holland, OCFC’s English-born center-back, had other ideas. He scored two minutes into stoppage time to force an extra-time session that threatened a winner at both ends. However, this game – one destined to become a classic derby – needed a penalty shootout to decide a winner. In the end, OCFC won the night scoring five to OCSC’s three from the spot and they now move on to face Eric Wynalda’s Las Vegas Lights in the Third Round.

About The Author

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered eight World Cups, seven Olympics and all 21 MLS Cups. He writes about New York City FC, New York Cosmos and the U.S. national team for Newsday and pens a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has two more in the works, including one about the Rochester Lancers.